Court told how Businessman Kirimi Koome posed as ‘connected’ investor in Ksh.391M fraud case

Appearing before Justice Mabeya, the plaintiff in the Ksh.391 million fraud case read a conversation between him and Patrick Kakuba and said that he was told the accused (Koome) could help him meet VIPs and that he was also a businessman with interests in hotels, roads and real estate.

Desire submitted that he could not open the business dubbed ‘Stay Online Limited’ in the country for he had no prerequisite papers to help him open one thus opting to get an agent to open and run the businesses which are in Canada, Uganda and Tanzania.

He further said that there was a resolution passed to expand the business and was affected and a local representative and initial capital was sent.

"Initially it was 100,000 USD dollars, however, the bank reduced it to 29,000 USD dollars which was sent through the bank," Desire testified.

While being cross-examined by lawyer Danstan Omari who is representing the complainant, Desire Muhinyuza said that Koome has never put any money in the business.

"Koome wrote a letter to stay online so if the company is his with 1000 shares does that mean he was writing a letter to himself," Desire asked.

In the multimillion case, Kirimi is accused of conspiring to defraud Desire who is the beneficial owner of Stay Online Limited USD 2,619,583.27, being merchant funds by falsely representing himself as the owner of the said funds.

He is alleged to have committed the offence on diverse dates between July 10  and October 4, 2023, in Nairobi jointly with others not before the court and with intent to defraud.

Koome is also charged with stealing Ksh.14,945,000 (USD 100,000) property of Stay Online Limited which had been entrusted to him to make payment of provision of taxes for the said company.

He also faces another charge of making a false entry in a document for payment of USD 100,000 9ksh.14 million) to his USD Account domiciled at Equity Bank and giving false information to the police.